Woo-Hoo! Success with my old 3 Screw Ruger

[Treetop]

Deer season dawned cool and crisp here in the Brazos river valley of central Texas. I was in my usual deer stand that I've hunted every season since 1985 or 86, I can't remember.

About 8:30 a smallish rack 6 point walked out of the thicket and browsed for a minute then eased back into the brush. In our county, the rack must be at least 13" inside measurement, this buck's rack was narrow and tallish, so not a shooter.

About 45 minutes later, a young, tender, legal, 8 point walked out about 15 yards from my stand. He was too close for a rifle shot, so I pulled out my, new to me, Ruger SBH and placed a 429421 through his heart. Due to the angle, the boolit also penetrated the lungs and liver, before exiting. It was initially a "bang-flop". The deer stayed down for probably 10-15 seconds, then stood up and traveled about ten yards before collapsing. I was tracking him with the Ruger, but I knew he was hit hard.

I bought the SBH late last year and really enjoyed working up a load for it, last spring. I settled on 21.5 gr. of IMR 4227 behind the Keith 429421, cast from Lyman #2 alloy. I haven't chronographed it yet, but according to the Lyman cast boolit manual, it's a middle of the road .44 mag. load.

I was particularly impressed by the significant damage inflicted by the 245 gr. solid to the liver.

Our central Texas deer are plentiful, but not very big, and this one looks even smaller laying next to my sixty six year old, 6'6" 240 lb. frame! Pictures below. Tt.

http://i119.photobucket.com/albums/o146/RMAJR/IMG_0431_zpsc776fb02.jpg

http://i119.photobucket.com/albums/o146/RMAJR/IMG_0435_zpsf7e9b5b3.jpg

http://i119.photobucket.com/albums/o146/RMAJR/IMG_0437_zps7ab83d12.jpg

http://i119.photobucket.com/albums/o146/RMAJR/IMG_0436_zpse5592a45.jpg

[1874Sharps]

Treetop,

Super shot, great job! You live in a lovely part of Texas (but then again, where in Texas is not lovely?) and it is fantastic that you have a place to hunt there year after year. The post mortem clearly demonstrates to me that the load, even though not scorching hot, was more than necessary with GREAT SHOT PLACEMENT. True, the shot was not a long one, as that is why you had a rifle for the primary weapon, but that Ruger SBH 44 Mag. certainly did the job. If non-Texans see the picture of you with the deer on the deck without reading your write-up explaining how TX deer are on the small side, they will think you are tall as Goliath! Congratulations on a job well done. Is it not satisfying to shoot your quarry with your own hand crafted ammo?!!!

[ultramag]

Congrats and well done!

[phonejack]

Good for you !

[BruceB]

Great job on the deer!

Do a search for "Karen moose" , for an account of my wife's adventure with a 3-screw Super Blackhawk. It's been told here before, but *I* think it bears repeating.

The thread is titled" The Day Karen Met The Moose"

[Driver man]

Heart lung and liver,couldnt be better. Good shooting.Should be good eating

[missionary5155]

Good morning and Congradulations !
Nice looking Texas buck ! Getting the opportunity to "bang flop" a buck with your own boolit from a revolver is near the best way to do it. Never underestimate the effect of lead on target.
Thanks for all the fine photos !
Mike in Peru

[white eagle]

great shot and great country
enjoy

[Spruce]

Congrats. Good shooting and a great story. Thanks for sharing, and photos are always the best.

[Ben]

A great shot and a very nice looking deer.

Ben

[Gibbs44]

Congratulations, and good shooting, I can't believe he got up after going down.

[Idaho Mule]

Great job!! I like the Pachmeyer grips too. JW

[smoked turkey]

I enjoyed your write-up on your hunt. Congratulations on a nice buck. You get double points because you used a revolver with cast boolits. Nice Job!

[Grendel99]

Very cool, congrats. I did something similar this year using the same bullet and a SBH Hunter.

[birddog1520]

Way To Go Treetop!!! And good shooting! Back Straps in the freezer.

Randy The Birddog.

[Treetop]

Thanks for the kind comments, folks! I continue to be more impressed with the effectiveness of home cast boolits every hunting season.

1874Sharps: I actually live down in the Houston metro area. Our family is fortunate enough to have several hundred acres up here in central Texas. I've been coming up here on weekends and vacations, all my life. Mrs. Treetop and I take opening week off every year and spend it up here deer hunting.

BruceB: Wow, I looked up your post on Karen and the moose! That lady is a definite keeper! Thanks for the story.

[RugerFan]

Well done Sir!

[Dthunter]

Exccellent!

[birddog1148]

Congrats

[OnHoPr]

Well it looks like your 66 year old eyes are accurate enough to shoot a gun that is accurate. That's a decent buck that looks tasty enough. Congrats.

[sixshot]

Great job, congratulations on a fine hunt. Deer & sixguns go together like bread & butter. Hunted Brownwood & Sonora when I was stationed there in the 60's. Went back a few years ago & spent the winter in Bandera, didn't deer hunt but whacked some hogs, great stuff. You're lucky to have a good place to hunt, especially where you can take your wife along, good stuff! Hey, you look big enough to get in a tree stand without a ladder!

Dick

[Treetop]

Hey, you look big enough to get in a tree stand without a ladder!Dick

Thanks, sixshot. My Dad was a tall, very well built man. Sometime during the 60s, when I surpassed him in height, he nicknamed me "Treetop". So my screen name is to honor his memory.

The more I look at that picture, the smaller that buck looks to me! We just finished boning him out and we got an average amount of "just meat" off of him. Almost all of our deer bone out between 35 and 45 pounds and he boned out 37-38 pounds. We are blessed with lots of whitetails, generous bag limits, and really long seasons down here in the Brazos river valley of central Texas, so I'm happy. Tt.

[sixshot]

I know what you mean by small deer, I shot one once at Possum Kingdom with my Bear recurve bow & after dressing it out (spike) I thought my bow was heavier than the deer. Lots of fun though, I love Texas & 2 of my kids were born there.

Dick

[badguybuster]

Hell as big as you are the deer could've died of fright

[DHurtig]

Nicely done sir.

[TXGunNut]

Nicely done & well told. Good pics as well. After many years of going along as backup my RBH got it's first hog last year, maybe it'll get a deer someday. I hunt culls on an overpopulated S TX lease so it won't be as pretty as yours.

[Treetop]

Nicely done & well told. Good pics as well. After many years of going along as backup my RBH got it's first hog last year, maybe it'll get a deer someday. I hunt culls on an overpopulated S TX lease so it won't be as pretty as yours.

TxGunNut, we have lots of hogs this year, but they are mostly nocturnal. One of my goals is to harvest one with this old SBH. Man, I love this sixshooter! Tt.

[Treetop]

Hell as big as you are the deer could've died of fright

"Hell as big and ugly as you are the deer could've died of fright."

Fixed for you, badguybuster! :D

Tt.

[opos]

Congrats on the nice hunt...I did most of my hunting in the high mountains of Colorado and one thing we learned was never shoot a deer or elk that is moving down hill...had a buddy shoot a deer that was starting to run downhill...we spent the whole day lugging venison from the bottom of the canyon...sure better to get a still shot and down they go...and the meat is so good when it's a cool, quiet standing shot..again, congrats.

[Treetop]

Well it looks like your 66 year old eyes are accurate enough to shoot a gun that is accurate. That's a decent buck that looks tasty enough. Congrats.

OnHoPr Just this year, I have started wearing my "computer" prescription glasses, under my safety glasses while shooting iron sights and they have really helped my accuracy with both rifle and sixgun. I stumbled on to this trick by accident, so maybe posting this will help some one else whose eyesight is starting to go south... Tt.

[Fisher]

Excellent Shot!

[sixshot]

Here's what works for me Treetop.

http://i84.photobucket.com/albums/k3/6shot_01/6shot_01097/100_3617_zpsd2abdd57.jpg (http://s84.photobucket.com/user/6shot_01/media/6shot_01097/100_3617_zpsd2abdd57.jpg.html)

Dick

[Fisher]

Here's what works for me Treetop.

http://i84.photobucket.com/albums/k3/6shot_01/6shot_01097/100_3617_zpsd2abdd57.jpg (http://s84.photobucket.com/user/6shot_01/media/6shot_01097/100_3617_zpsd2abdd57.jpg.html)

Dick

Hey Dick

I've be wondering about that, for my NMBH what difference does it make vs the stock sights ? I recon it makes a huge difference If I consider your long shots at game with only irons.

[taco650]

Here's what works for me Treetop.

http://i84.photobucket.com/albums/k3/6shot_01/6shot_01097/100_3617_zpsd2abdd57.jpg (http://s84.photobucket.com/user/6shot_01/media/6shot_01097/100_3617_zpsd2abdd57.jpg.html)

Dick

What kind of sights are those? Also, is the rear sight moved to the right a bit or is it just me?

[sixshot]

No its centered but my camera wasn't. Thats a rear peep that we make, we also make the fiber optic front sight for stainless single action Rugers.

Dick

[35 Whelen]

Excellent shot!

[Fishman]

That's great shot placement Treetop! No apologies for the size of the deer are needed. They sure taste better that way.

[taco650]

No its centered but my camera wasn't. Thats a rear peep that we make, we also make the fiber optic front sight for stainless single action Rugers.

Dick

More info please. PM me if you'd like. I have a early 80's vintage SBH that the front sight is getting harder to see.

[DougGuy]

That's a good hunt and a good story Treetop! I'd rather have the smaller ones myself, they drag easier and are better eating.

My 7 1/2" SBH has taken more meat than any other gun I own. It rides crossdraw wherever I hunt, backup to rifle or shotgun, but the deer seem to prefer walking up under my tree. Go figure.

[JesterGrin_1]

Congrats on the TEXAS Horned Wabbit lol. :)

[JesterGrin_1]

That's a good hunt and a good story Treetop! I'd rather have the smaller ones myself, they drag easier and are better eating.

My 7 1/2" SBH has taken more meat than any other gun I own. It rides crossdraw wherever I hunt, backup to rifle or shotgun, but the deer seem to prefer walking up under my tree. Go figure.

The reason could be that you keep dropping those apple cores under your tree lol.

[Sheriff]

Nothing wrong with that one. Congrats!